April is National Donate Life Month [1]:  This is a month set aside to raise awareness and to inspire the choice to be an organ and tissue donor.  Each of us has the power to save lives.  Click here to  Learn. [2]  Share [3].  Contribute [4].  Be a hero [5]!  Be an organ donor [6]!

World Kidney Day [7].  Did you know?  26 million Americans, 1 in 9 adults, have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk.  Have your kidney health checked [8] (for FREE), learn more about preventing kidney disease [9] and about the tremendous need for kidney donations [10] in a location near you [11]. 

National Eye Donor Month [12].  Did you know?  More than 52,000 people have their sight restored through corneal transplantation in the US each year!!  We honor and thank past donors and their families for the tremendous gift of sight they have given and we CELEBRATE with those who have had their sight restored!

National Donor Day [13] focusing on the "five points of life"  organ, tissue, marrow, platelets, and blood donation.  Donation drives are held throughout February nationwide.  Be a hero!  Be a donor!  And THANK YOU!

please click here [14].

Donate Life float "New Life Rises" [15] to honor Colby's gift of life to three others.  His rose will be among 3300 others donated in memory or in honor of loved ones who gave or received a life giving organ/eye/tissue donation.  If you mised the parade, you can see the float at about 13:10 into this video [16].  Enjoy!

• LMU-DCOM [17] opened its doors in 2007 as both Tennessee’s newest medical school and only osteopathic medical school.  Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, its main mission is to serve the underserved of rural Appalachia with educational opportunities.

  PNWU-COM [18] opened its doors in 2008 and trains 75 new primary care physicians each year.  Located in Yakima, Washington the  medical school  is devoted to training future doctors who will serve the needs of those living in the non-urban communities and rural areas of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

  Click here [19] to find out more and to learn how your faith community might take part.

• Click here [20]for  more information.
• National Minority Donor Awareness Day [21].  This is a day set aside,  not only to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation,  but also to promote preventive health and to address obstacles to donation.  For more information, visit the National Minority Organ and Tissue Transplant Education Program [22] and the Office of Minority Health [23]
• [24]June 2009:  The Colby Foundation is now on facebook [25].  Visit us there, become a "fan", and let us know your thoughts about and experiences with organ donation and transplantation!
• renamed their annual 10K fundraiser [26] to honor Colby and the recipient of Colby's heart, Brayden.  Students attend the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series during years one and two of their medical school curriculum.  Inspired by Colby's story, students chose to rename their fundraiser to honor Colby's memory as well as Brayden, whose life was saved when Colby's heart was donated.
• Read more [27]
• Read Brayden's story [27].
• Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine received a four thousand dollar endowment from the Colby Foundation for the eighth year. For the 2007 – 2008 academic year, the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series will take place in the spring. OSU COM is the first school to have received the Colby Foundation’s endowment.
• “Intestinal transplants will now be subject to the same rules for reporting, tracking and allocation currently in place for other transplantable organs…Intestinal transplantation – which may include the esophagus, stomach, small or large intestine, or any portion of the gastrointestinal tract – is considered for patients with irreversible intestinal failure due to surgery, trauma, or acquired or congenital disease that cannot be managed through the intravenous delivery of nutrients, also referred to as total parenteral nutrition…” Read more [28]

Erie [29], Bradenton [30], and Seton Hil [31]l) held their "White Coat Ceremonies" this winter.  The Colby Foundation congratulates medical students (at schools granted the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship) on their transition from classroom study to clinical education!  Our warmest welcome to Seton Hill whose INNAUGURAL CLASS held the school's very FIRST White Coat ceremony!  (read more about each of the three ceremonies by clicking the campuses above)

LMU-DCOM becomes the fourth school and sixth campus awarded the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  LMU joins OSU-CHS, PNWU-COM, and LECOM's Erie, Bradenton, and Greensburg campuses in receiving this prestigious award   Read more [32]

LECOM Erie joins its Bradenton campus in hosting the Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series.  In addition to medical students, practicing physisians attending LECOM's annual continuing medical education conference listened to the lecutreship in March 2009.  Read more [33]

LECOM Bradenton holds its first Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series in February 2009. Read more [34]

The Colby Cassani Endowed Lectureship Series 2006 at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine: Colby Foundation Trustee, Starla Cassani; and LifeShare Oklahoma representative, Stephanie Bagley, brought Colby's story and the state of organ and tissue donation in our nation to medical students. Read more [35]

Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association highlight the work of the Colby Foundation. Read more [36]